I think the answer is Before the Flood.

Or, Genesis Seconds Out.

I enjoy Hard Rain quite a bit, but like much of Dylan he needed a competent advisor on what to include / exclude and when.

Cheap Trick built an excellent career (and get all from CT 97 to now, it's great) on a very good short album that's an even better double album.

KISS never made a live album, but if Alive series were honest it would deserve a mention.

Liam Gallagher has been absolutely killing it with his live releases.

Celebration Day is very good, and AC/ DC made a major impression on me with Donnington.

I also wore the cassettes out on Billy Joel's live releases, especially the 2 from the 80s, as well as Meat Loaf. I've got all the live official releases from them and it's excellent, proven by Joel's recent live on ABC performance from MSG.

Mine will be a bit different and wide-ranging:







and of course:

Redstone said:

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KISS never made a live album, but if Alive series were honest it would deserve a mention.

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we could start a dedicated thread on this topic........6 pages minimum, 3 bans (including myself).........

Very few "live" albums are completely live. But yeah KISS pushed that farther than most.

deadhead aggie said:

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Redstone said:

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KISS never made a live album, but if Alive series were honest it would deserve a mention.

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we could start a dedicated thread on this topic........6 pages minimum, 3 bans (including myself).........

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Didn't they just put out an actual Live album last year?

yeah i looked it up - from performances in 1984 Poughkeepsie NY

St John and Carr era.

Of course Nirvana: Unplugged and REK, but here's two that I haven't seen mentioned. One rock, one not.



Their cover of "Cortez The Killer" is 20 minutes long and I could listen to it forever.



I could put this on today and sing along with every word. Great from front to back.

Appreciate the direct replies. I've got a lot of thoughts on this topic and am happy to provide more detail, recommendations, and analysis. However, Stars are appreciated and do encourage me to keep posting. I enjoy when posts Turn Blue.
edit: it's fine not to, but please engage if you appreciate the content.

Nirvana - Unplugged
Counting Crows - Across a Wire: Live in New York City
B.B. King - Live at the Regal

Know Your Enemy said:

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Very few "live" albums are completely live.

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Eagles Live was, at the time, considered to be the most overdubbed live album in history, with Glenn Frey in LA and Don Henley and the others in Miami sending tapes back and forth to each other via FedEx (because they couldn't stand to be together).

Makes sense because those guys were raging perfectionists.

"Nine Tonight" by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band is a pretty good live album. Lots of energy.

As for performances of 1 song, U2, Where the Streets Have No Name

Jim01 said:

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Of course Nirvana: Unplugged and REK, but here's two that I haven't seen mentioned. One rock, one not.



Their cover of "Cortez The Killer" is 20 minutes long and I could listen to it forever.



I could put this on today and sing along with every word. Great from front to back.

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Agree on that Radney Foster album. Wore that CD out in my truck. Going to listen to it now since it's been a while.

Genesis - Seconds Out

Exit...Stage Left was my first live album, so it holds a special place in my heart. Rush In Rio is right up there for three reasons: the comeback after the band nearly ended, the Lerxst rant, and that absolutely bonkers crowd.

Philo B 93 said:

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As I read through these great suggestions, I asked myself "what makes these albums so great?" I think the answer is energy and rawness. Just 4 or 5 (or more) of the most talented rock artists in history with instruments plugged into monster tube amps.

This is my summer playlist.

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For me, what I love about my favorite albums are just the way they are played.

For example, Over the Hills and Far Away is one of my favorite Zep songs, and Since I've Been Loving You is probably in my top 3 songs of all time.

The reason the performances of both those songs at Madison Square Garden is so legendary for me is how Page arranged his parts, and the tone of his guitar in that setting. You can do all the producing on the front end you want to, but nothing replicates the sound of his '59 Les Paul played through that Marshall stack in an arena. It's just guitar tone bliss. Then you add that to how he arranges his parts in those songs?

I listen to those versions all the time and not the album versions, because I just love them so much.

Alice In Chains - Live

Spore Ag said:

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Almond Brothers Live at the Filmore. That's when we lit up the good stuff.

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Almond Brothers? Sorry. Thought that was funny. I wonder if they're related to the Walnut sisters.

Big Cat `93 said:

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Genesis - Seconds Out

Exit...Stage Left was my first live album, so it holds a special place in my heart. Rush In Rio is right up there for three reasons: the comeback after the band nearly ended, the Lerxst rant, and that absolutely bonkers crowd.

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Best crowd ever. I've watched that dvd eleventy-billion times.

Supertramp - Paris

bonfarr said:

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Spore Ag said:

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Almond Brothers Live at the Filmore. That's when we lit up the good stuff.

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Were the Almond Brothers better than the California Raisins?

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Oh man, I was gonna make this same joke!!!

This is essentially the video version of Seconds Out (much abridged with Bill Brufod instead of Chester Thompson).

I cheated and put these both up because they're both great but very different experiences.

Widespread Panic. "Light fuse, get away".

Independence H-D said:

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Widespread Panic. "Light fuse, get away".

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good call…..tough to beat that Love Tractor

EOT

deadhead aggie said:

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Independence H-D said:

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Widespread Panic. "Light fuse, get away".

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good call…..tough to beat that Love Tractor

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Well I'm bouncin' in my seat
I try to remember where all the levers are
I've got enough fuel this time
I've got enough fuel this time to remember

I didn't think anyone else on TexAgs would recognize!